Strawberry cheesecake

Jason Wright, head chef of Steak Edinburgh, who has just been awarded Rising Star Chef award at the Scottish Hotel Awards 2013, provides some seasonal summer recipes to try at home.

Strawberry cheesecake (Serves 4)

Ingredients

85g hob-nob biscuits (they work best in my opinion)

200g tub soft cheese

200g tub Creme fraiche

4 tbsp caster sugar

Few drops vanilla extract

2 tbsp good-quality strawberry jam

100g strawberries , hulled and sliced

Method:

Put the biscuits in a plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin until you have chunky crumbs. Divide between four glasses or small bowls. Beat the soft cheese, Creme fraiche, sugar and vanilla together until smooth, then spoon over the crumbs and chill until you are ready to serve. Stir the jam in a bowl until loose, then gently stir in the strawberries. Divide the strawberries between the cheesecakes and serve.

Mint Brûlée with Shortbread

Ingredients:

4 egg yolks

40g of caster sugar

187ml double cream

1tsp vanilla extract

Handful of mint

Method:

Whisk the egg yolks, vanilla and sugar lightly in a mixing bowl, meanwhile bring the cream and mint to the boil, safely take the mint from the cream, then add the cream to the egg gradually till all ingredients are mixed evenly together.

Leave in the fridge to settle for an hour or so then skim all the bubbles off the top and discard, you will be left with a nice loose custard, place your ramekins or what dish you are using into an ovenproof tray and pour in a small amount of water, then your custard mix into your dish and cling film the top of the tray this allows no steam to escape which helps cook the brûlée.

Transfer to a preheated oven and cook at 110 degrees for around 40mins or until set (slight wobble) then chill.

To serve sprinkle with sugar and glaze with a blowtorch or simply under a grill, then dunk in shortbread and eat the lot.

Bramble and Lemon Mess

Ingredients:

600ml tub whipping cream

3 tbsp icing sugar

6 tbsp lemon curd

200g blackberries

Method

For the meringues

2 large egg whites

140g caster sugar

Heat oven to 120C/100C fan/gas 1/2. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. To make the meringues, put the egg whites in a clean mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk to stiff peaks. Tip in half the sugar and beat again until shiny and stiff. Add the remaining sugar and beat back to shiny and stiff.

Dollop five very large spoonfuls onto the baking sheet and bake on a low shelf for one hour until crisp and the meringues peel easily from the paper. Cool. The meringues will keep in an airtight container for up to three days, or in the freezer for up to three months.

Tip the cream into a large bowl, sift in the icing sugar and gently whip until soft peaks just hold a little shape.

Chill until ready to serve.

To serve, dollop the lemon curd over the whipped cream, then crumble over some of the meringues in small chunks – you probably won’t need them all.

Put the blackberries into a bowl and lightly rough up with a fork so they’re whole but juicy, then scatter them over the cream. Fold together with a large spatula or spoon, just a few times to marble everything through. Divide between six glasses or bowls, and serve.